SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The owners of Destiny USA are filing a lawsuit against the city of Syracuse, arguing the assessed value of the mall’s property is overinflated and must be reduced.
The lawsuit was filed April 17 by Destiny USA Land Company LLC and its subsidiaries. It is asking for a review of its property tax assessments specifically related to parking areas at the mall, or other vacant industrial land associated with Destiny USA.
The city of Syracuse assessed the total land value at $32,768,500 for the 2026 tax year. Destiny argues that number should be much lower, totaling $4,255,257. The mall argues in the lawsuit a large portion of the land assessed consists of brownfield sites which cannot be developed without significant environmental remediation. The mall says the property has a lengthy environmental history, having stored oil and other waste on-site. As a result, the mall says these portions of land cannot be developed and should not be taxed at the same rate as the rest of the property…